Ano Turtiainen

Turtiainen competed for the International Powerlifting Federation, World Powerlifting Congress and World Powerlifting Organization. In 1998, Turtiainen was tested positive for androgenic drugs and banned for two years.{{cite web |date=12 June 1998 |title=Kolmelle voimanostajalle kahden vuoden kilpailukielto |url=https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000003723236.html |accessdate=3 June 2020 |publisher=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi}} In 2002, he set a deadlift world record 405.5 kg for WPC.{{cite web |last=Valta |first=Ville-Veikko |date=15 April 2019 |title=405,5 kiloa maasta vetänyt voimanoston ME-mies nousee eduskuntaan Kaakkois-Suomesta – saanut tuomion rikokseen yllyttämisestä |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/fitnessvoimailu/a/1e647e64-c43d-4b2d-9578-6ee778b0b7ec |accessdate=3 June 2020 |publisher=Iltalehti |language=fi}}

In 2017, Turtiainen was elected into municipal council of Juva in Southern Savonia as a representative of the Finns Party.{{Cite web |last=Turkkila |first=Matias |date=2017-04-10 |title=Kaikki perussuomalaiset valtuutetut |url=https://www.suomenuutiset.fi/kaikki-perussuomalaiset-valtuutetut-2/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Suomen Uutiset |language=fi}}

In the 2019 parliamentary election, Turtiainen was elected member of parliament from the South East Finland constituency. In the 2023 parliamentary election, he received only 632 votes in the South East Finland constituency, thereby failing to retain his seat in parliament.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-02 |title=VKK:n Ano Turtiainen ei uusinut paikkaansa kansanedustajana, sai 632 ääntä |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20025436 |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

January 2020 Finnish newspaper Iltalehti revealed that Turtiainen had used travel expense allowance during his sick leave. Turtiainen also had the highest count of the allowance usage according to the paper.{{Cite web |title=Kansanedustaja Ano Turtiainen on laskuttanut kilometrikorvauksia myös sairauslomapäiviltä – eduskunta luottaa edustajan omaan ilmoitukseen |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/8888a96e-6f7a-437a-a1a2-716d9890c556 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=www.iltalehti.fi |language=fi}}

The same month Turtiainen mocked a Finnish police officer on Twitter who filed a report of an offence. District attorney dropped the charges later, calling Turtiainen's statement to be within limits of acceptable criticism towards authorities despite the use of derogatory wording.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-04 |title=Syyttäjä: poliisin on kestettävä loukkaavaakin arvostelua – tutkinta kansanedustaja Ano Turtiaisen somekirjoituksista lopetettiin |url=https://yle.fi/a/3-12258390 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

On 3 June 2020 Turtiainen mocked the murder of George Floyd on his Twitter account with a tweet showing an image of Floyd, a police officer's knee on his neck and his face colorized pink, with the phrase "Pink Floyd".{{Cite web|last=Foreigner.fi|title=Perussuomalaiset MP mocks George Floyd's death|url=https://www.foreigner.fi/articulo/news/perussuomalaiset-mp-mocks-george-floyds-death/20200603155637006227.html|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Foreigner.fi|language=en}} His parliamentary group called the tweet "not acceptable". The tweet was later deleted. As a response to Turtiainen's tweet, the Finns Party expelled him from the parliamentary group.Hartikainen, Jarno: [https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000006530003.html Perussuomalaisten eduskuntaryhmä erotti Ano Turtiaisen sopimattoman somekäytöksen vuoksi], Helsingin Sanomat 4 June 2020. Accessed on 4 June 2020. The previous misconduct was taken account as well.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-04 |title=Ano Turtiainen erotettiin toistaiseksi perussuomalaisten eduskuntaryhmästä |url=https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000006529742.html |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Ilta-Sanomat |language=fi}} Citing zero tolerance for racism, US-based company Elitefts announced that it is ending its business relationship with Ano Turtiainen's company, Metal Sport & Gear.

Turtiainen proceeded to found his own parliamentary group of one man. He appointed as the group secretary a former the Finns Party MP James Hirvisaari. Hirvisaari had been expelled from the Finns Party in 2013 after two incidents: he refused to fire his assistant who published racist post on the internet and his parliamentary visitor performed a Nazi salute which Hirvisaari photographed.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-09 |title=Perussuomalaisten eduskuntaryhmästä erotettu Ano Turtiainen perusti oman yhden miehen eduskuntaryhmän |url=https://yle.fi/a/3-11393451 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

Turtiainen has criticized actions related to COVID-19 pandemic, calling them "neo-communism" and refusing to take a COVID vaccine. He has also been spreading conspiracy theory related COVID-memes on his social media platforms.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-03 |title=Perussuomalaisten ryhmästä erotettu Ano Turtiainen ja puolueen kansanedustajat sanaharkassa koronaviruksen vakavuudesta: "Aika titityy on sellainen kansanedustaja" |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/perussuomalaisten-ryhmasta-erotettu-ano-turtiainen-ja-puolueen-kansanedustajat-sanaharkassa-koronaviruksen-vakavuudesta-aika-titityy-on-sellainen-kansanedustaja/8027672 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi}}{{Cite web |title=Kansanedustajat tyrmäsivät yhtenä rintamana Ano Turtiaisen koronapuheet |url=https://www.maaseuduntulevaisuus.fi/uutiset/3928e96b-a1d2-5875-8bf4-72416eb8df97 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Maaseudun Tulevaisuus |language=fi}} Within the Parliament Turtiainen has caused controversy by refusing to wear a face mask during the time it was recommended. He has been using derogatory language towards the Chairmen after receiving animadversions from them regarding the face mask issue. In one instance fellow representatives interpreted his hand signs and choice of words as a violent threat.{{Cite web |title=Välikohtaus eduskunnassa – maskikehotuksesta tuohtunut kansanedustaja Turtiainen uhkaili varapuhemiestä kädet nyrkissä |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/3893742f-fff1-4551-8193-b954d20f0f20 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=www.iltalehti.fi |language=fi}} In Spring 2021 Turtiainen stated that he is "ready to kill if somebody in this country is forced to wear a mask".{{Cite web |title=Ano Turtiainen uhkaili väkivallalla jos maskipakko tulee - puhemies puuttui välittömästi: "Tuomittavaa" |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/6e48fca6-a927-42fe-bb58-0351b1951115 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=www.iltalehti.fi |language=fi}} However, in Autumn 2020 it was revealed that his own company did manufacture and resell face masks. Turtiainen responded by saying he had nothing against the use of protective equipment.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-30 |title=Kansanedustaja Ano Turtiaisen firma valmistaa maskeja, mutta itse hän ei niitä käytä – näin hän selittää puheitaan "välineteatterista" |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/kansanedustaja-ano-turtiaisen-firma-valmistaa-maskeja-mutta-itse-han-ei-niita-kayta-nain-han-selittaa-puheitaan-valineteatterista/7999016 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi}}

{{Main|Power Belongs to the People}}In 2021, Turtiainen expanded his parliamentary group into a full political party, called "Power Belongs to the People". According to the party, the required 5,000 voter signatures were collected in a one day.{{Cite web |title=Ano Turtiaisen Valta kuuluu kansalle merkitty puoluerekisteriin |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/politiikka/a/b00c0ff3-19ad-4a55-a570-7a4210a376c1 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=www.iltalehti.fi |language=fi}}

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Turtiainen caused public controversy with statements supporting Russia. The controversy caused 6 out of 10 Regional Council representatives of Power Belongs to the People to resign from the party.{{cite web|access-date=2023-05-05|author=Tervonen, Tuukka|date=2023-05-05|language=fi|title=Sirpaloituneen VKK:n johtaja Ano Turtiainen uskoi vaalivoittoon – nyt hän sanoo Nasan valehtelevan maapallon pyöreydestä ja vaalituloksesta|url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20030211|work=Yle Uutiset}} Turtiainen called them "opportunists".{{Cite web |date=2022-04-11 |title=VKK:n rivit rakoilevat: Ano Turtiaisen Venäjä-puheet, autoritaarinen johtajuus ja uskonnolliset kannanotot ajavat pois puolueesta |url=https://yle.fi/a/3-12398273 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

After the 2023 parliamentary election, Turtiainen and his party secretary Marko Hiltunen were invited to attend the Russian government-organised St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Both have said that Russia paid for their tickets, which cost more than €25,000.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-14 |title=Ex-kansanedustaja Ano Turtiainen lähti Venäjän junailemana Pietarin talousfoorumiin – "Epätoivoinen yritys", sanoo asiantuntija |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20036771 |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

Turtiainen was expelled from the party's leadership in March 2024 due to disagreements with the rest of the leadership. After this, the party publicly distanced itself from Turtiainen's pro-Russian positions.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-25 |title=Ano Turtiainen sai lähtöpassit Valta kuuluu kansalle -puolueen johdosta |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20080739 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}

Former Member of Parliament Turtiainen participated in an international conference in Moscow in April 2024 and Yalta International Economic Forum in November 2024.

In December 2015 Turtiainen published a Facebook status saying that "people had taken great personal risks when acting in elimination operations to destroy existing and planned asylum centres". In his Facebook status, Turtiainen considered the Finnish Red Cross to be his greatest enemy and wrote if "it was now time to expand operations to the enemy headquarters". The matter escalated into a controversy after Member of Parliament Laura Huhtasaari had liked the status. The Finnish Red Cross reported Turtiainen's message to the police. In September 2018 Turtiainen was sentenced in the district court of Southern Savonia to 60 day-fines for public incitement to crime.{{cite web |last=Teittinen |first=Paavo |date=28 December 2015 |title=Kansanedustaja Huhtasaari sanoo tykänneensä väkivaltaan yllyttävästä Facebook-päivityksestä vahingossa – "En missään nimessä hyväksy" |url=https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000002876959.html |accessdate=27 January 2020 |publisher=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi}}{{cite web |date=12 September 2018 |title=Finns Party pol fined for inciting violence against Red Cross |url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finns_party_pol_fined_for_inciting_violence_against_red_cross/10400019 |accessdate=3 June 2020 |publisher=Yle News}} After being elected as a Member of Parliament, Turtiainen commented that "in this company this sentence is just a feather in my cap".{{cite web |date=8 May 2019 |title=Valituksensa hovioikeuteen perunut kansanedustaja Ano Turtiainen ei kadu tuomittua tekstiään — "Tässä porukassa tämä tuomio on vain sulka hattuun" |url=https://lansi-savo.fi/uutiset/lahella/9d385801-9625-469d-89be-ef8bc474f023 |accessdate=27 January 2020 |publisher=Länsi-Savo |language=fi}}

Turtiainen has also been sentenced for assault. According to Helsingin Sanomat, the district court of Southern Savonia sentenced Turtiainen to fines in March 2010 for assaulting a 14-year-old boy from Juva. Turtiainen had been previously sentenced for assault in 1995 and 1997.{{cite web |last=Pietiläinen |first=Tuomo |date=19 May 2019 |title=Kaksi kansanedustajien lausahdusta kiteyttää sen, miksi median pitää tarkasti kaivaa poliitikkojen tekemisiä |url=https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000006110488.html |accessdate=27 January 2020 |publisher=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi}}

Turtiainen owns 60% of the company METAL SPORT Licensing Oy, 50% of the company Gometal Oy and 50% of the company Bobbin Oy (Metal Sport). On 21 April 2022, Gometal Oy was declared bankrupt due to accrued taxes owed.{{cite web | url = https://yle.fi/news/3-12416182 | title = MP's bankrupt business owes tens of thousands in unpaid taxes | publisher = Yle News| date = 25 April 2022 | accessdate = 16 May 2022 | language = en}} Gometal Oy sold powerlifting equipment, clothing and Power Belongs to the People Party's fan products.{{cite web | url = https://en.gometal.fi/ | title =METAL SPORT - STRENGTH EQUIPMENT SHOP | accessdate = 16 May 2022 | language = en}}

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Category:1967 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Savonlinna

Category:Finns Party politicians

Category:Members of the Parliament of Finland (2019–2023)

Category:Finnish powerlifters

Category:Finnish sportspeople in doping cases

Category:Political party founders